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Do you really want to delete this prezi? Because that's me being kind and thoughtful and not telling you what she's going to be used as.

But you know why this story worked for me? What can I say? These two can work miracles. About halfway through this story goes from PNR trope heaven to awesome world building and kickass action paradise.

Yes, it turns out this story is pretty cool after all. Karina, the heroine, is your typical IA badass, albeit in a sheep's clothing at first.

Lucas, the hero, was a bit too stereotypical for my taste but he grew on me as the story progressed. Was it because I kept thinking "Curran" whenever I read "Lucas"?

Hmmm, that might have had something to do with it. What's really cool about this story is the world: It might be fantasy…or it might not. What might it be then?

Hahaha, wouldn't you love to know?! Well I'm afraid you're going to have to read the story to find out. Time to throw another muhahahahahaha in.

Damn, how I love doing that. This should be a full-length novel!! This should be a series!! I want to know more about this world! The Andrews better get to it the minute they finish writing the last Kate Daniels instalment.

I might retaliate if they don't. What the hell is wrong with me??!! That's it, I must have reached the final stages of alcohol psychosis. Either that or the end of the world is near.

What makes this OMG-I-almost-rated-thisstars episode even scarier is that there isn't a lot going on in this short story. Little action, lots of blah blah blah blah.

The angel…Well for a start, he's a freaking angel which works against him. I mean, apart from S. Reine's deliciously nasty angels, they're all a bunch of sissies.

And Corban here, with his constant wallowing in self-pity, is no exception. He'd still be there, brooding and miserable, had Moriah not bugged him to death with her delightfully irritating ways.

My 3-star ratings are usually the meh kind but this one was surprisingly enjoyable. Not that it makes me want to read Shinn's Samaria series, though.

They're probably some of the scariest I've ever seen. So I'm patting myself on the back AND giving myself an award. View all 4 comments.

I was so excited about this anthology that I instantly dropped everything else I was reading the moment it appeared on my Kindle - these authors are among my very favorites.

I was pretty hyped for this, which might have worked a bit against me, I enjoyed the four stories, three of which are connected the authors' series, but I was surprised that with so many of my top favorite authors, the new to me Sharon Shinn's story was my favorite.

The stories in Angels of Darkness weren't super romancey ev I was so excited about this anthology that I instantly dropped everything else I was reading the moment it appeared on my Kindle - these authors are among my very favorites.

The stories in Angels of Darkness weren't super romancey even though there were romances in each story, but the personal aspect of the relationships was more the focus.

FYI, the Andrew's story is the only one that didn't have an angel in the lead, just two brief references to 'angels'. Here's just a quick bit about the stories in the order I read them Singh's Angel's Wolf - Noel, the vampire who was brutalized in an earlier Guild Hunter book and who is healed in body but still not recovered emotionally from his ordeal, is sent away from Raphael's Tower to guard the deceptively fragile looking Nimra whose territory is New Orleans - but Noel knows that no angel rises to power by being weak.

My only nit, and it didn't stop me from enjoying the story - and probably wouldn't have struck me the same way if I hadn't recently read Archangel's Blade - was that I am now really ready for another Guild Hunter story where one or both of the leads hasn't been savaged to the extreme in the past.

I liked it Sharon Shin's Nocturne - A despondent blind angel is brought back to life by a woman who is no fan of angels.

The love scenes are left mostly to the readers imagination but the thought of the heroine being enveloped in the angel's wings adds fuel to fire that imagination.

I haven't read anything by Shinn before, but recognized that this story is set in the world of her angel series, but this actually turned out to be my favorites story.

I really liked it MelJean Brook's Ascension - Concerned for her former friend, Radha drops in on fellow Guardian Marc who is on the hunt for what Marc suspects is a Demon 'poisoning' the minds of humans in his territory and though Radha is the mistress of illusion, after years, it may be time clear up the misunderstanding that ended their friendship - I am a huge fan of the Guardians, which is up to book seven and only one more story away from being complete.

For newbies Brook has tried really hard in this story to catch new readers up on the whole Guardian mythos, fans who have just finished up Demon Marked - which had also had a pretty thorough recap and a lot more space to weave it in - probably won't appreciate this as much as fans who need to come back up to speed in preparation for Michael's book.

It was ok Ilona Andrews' Alphas: Origins - An unfortunate pit stop, changes a field trip mom's life forever.

Now her survival and that of her daughter depends on her bond to the frightening, Lucas, who is part man and part beast. I think that this is a prequel for a new series from the Andrews, and the world is a fusion of paranormal and sci-fi.

I always enjoy stories like this in which a 'weak' heroine discovers her strength and also finds the hidden vulnerability in the man who is nearly a beast, and I am sucker for a hero who appealingly leashes his primal nature in order to give his heroine a choice.

I would have like this one better without the conversation that did an info dump to explain the series mythos. Apr 05, MB What she read rated it liked it Shelves: I wanted to read this book because it had stories by Ilona Andrews and Sharon Shinn included.

But I love Shinn's Samaria series they are the exception to my weird turn-off and I'll try anything by Andrews. Well, I loved the Shinn entry.

It is a nice one about 2 unhappy people helping each other get past the hurts life has dealt them. It is kind of a quiet story--not terribly dramatic.

And the ending was not terribly satisfying. But I'd give it 4 stars. I didn't find myself enjoying the Andrews entry much.

It was too X-men for me. Others will probably love it, as it is not the writing, just that I find that type of plot silly.

But it should be pretty popular and I can tell that it is probably the first entry in a series set in this world.

There are plenty of leads for new books or novellas using the characters introduced here. The other 2 were okay as well. But they were fine--enjoyable enough--just not my style.

Meljean Brooks' was kind of cute in a hurt each other terribly as teenagers, finding each other again as adults sort of way. Nalini Singh's was most typical of this type of genre.

Which made it not work for me. I found it a combo of sappy and weird. View all 3 comments. Sep 16, Mlpmom Book Reviewer added it.

View all 6 comments. Why am I not getting this until December according to Amazon when the release date is October!?

This sucks great bit fuzzy baboon testicles! November Update Okay so I may have overreacted! I now have the book, happy days people! The baboon is back in the cage!

Angel's Wolf by Nalini Singh 5 Stars I find it really hard to rate novellas, this book is only 90 pages or so long; how much can you possibly pack in in that length?!

Apparently for Nalini Singh, quite a bit. I think to fully appreciate th Why am I not getting this until December according to Amazon when the release date is October!?

I think to fully appreciate this story you have to have read the Guild Hunter series as it gives the novella a depth of understanding that you won't have if you don't understand the world or the main character, Noel's past.

But as a fan of everything Ms Singh has ever written I didn't have that problem. This was a fantastic novella, it had a small, yet heart rending, mystery in it, a little romance, a little sex and a bit of biting, satisying all my needs for a PNR!

It was such an interesting world that Andrews set up in a very short amount of pages. A mixture of sci-fi and paranormal it was fascinating, Ilona and Gordon have a great talent for creating really original new worlds to set their characters in.

Lucas and Karina, the main characters also drew you in, Lucas was a little different and far more dangerous then your usual werewolf creature, he literally needed to eat Karina to survive.

And Karina was a young widow who would do anything to look after her child in the strange new world she has found herself in.

I really hope that more books are written in this series, as well as the main two characters there were others that I would love to read more about.

Nocturne by Sharon Shinn 3. I found the wriiting style not quite to my taste, sometimes it felt like I was reading a list and it was a little slow to start off.

But it was an good story, but just didn't entice me to read more. Ascension by Meljean Brooks 4 Stars Meljean Brooks is another author I haven't read before, but I really liked this novella and I will definitely look at reading more of her books.

Normally I don't really bother with anthologies but I couldn't resist Ilona Andrews and Nalini Singh together, but I was pleasently surprised, I liked all the stories, some more then others but this is well worth the read.

View all 23 comments. May 14, Anna marked it as to-read Shelves: Oct 23, Catherine rated it really liked it Shelves: I was quite surprised to find that I really enjoyed it!

Maybe I should try to overcome my anthology dislike and give more of them a try. In the spellbinding universe of the Guild Hunters, a vampire becomes obsessed with the seductive angel who rules the Louisiana territory.

But in her court, all is not what it appears. I was surprised to find that this was my least favorite stories in the anthology. I found the read pleasant, but that was about all.

Brook may have been my motivation to get the book, but Singh was the icing on the cake. Despite not loving this book, I enjoyed getting to follow a female angel this time around.

Well…a natural born angel, I mean. It aided the romance development in such a short story, I know, but I was looking forward to seeing a female version of a toned down Raphael.

Noel fell pretty easily for a guy who had the issues that he did, but I enjoyed watching the fall. I felt that he was the more emotionally healthy of the pair, despite the intimacy issues he struggled with.

Both Nimra and Noel were dominant personalities, but when they came together they were surprisingly sweet.

A woman is kidnapped into a world divided by a superhuman civil war. I am shocked-- shocked, I say! I did not like it at all when I began reading it.

I was deeply uncomfortable with the set up and the dynamic between Lucas and Karina. Karina was in the wrong place at the wrong time and ended up being mortally wounded.

This bargain is crap, really. He can do whatever he wants to her. She was a victim of circumstance.

The House of Daryon had stripped every shred of independence from her. She depended on Lucas for everything: Any relaxation of the rules became a kindness on his part.

A small thing, like a toothbrush, seemed like some great favor. Lucas strongly reminded me of a serial killer and I got the heebie-jeebies when I realized just how easy it was for him to contemplate raping Karina.

So why did I like this story so much? But, man, it sucked me in. Accepting a position in a secluded and whispered-about mansion, a woman soon discovers the source of its mystery: I was surprised to find how much I enjoyed the world, despite being a little confused by the connection between God and the angels and the humans.

Why exactly are angels living with the humans? I get that they need to mate with them to produce more angels, but are they angels -angels?

A little confused about that. I really, really enjoyed watching the bond develop between Moriah and Corban. They both initially are drawn to each other for complicated reasons—Moriah from a desire to tempt fate, and Corban from a reluctant interest in something other than his depression.

Soon they find themselves growing closer. Corban comes to depend upon Moriah for her aid in helping him overcome his injury, but you can also see the subtle hints that he is beginning to care from her.

She is unceasingly practical and it was fun watching her roll her eyes at herself over falling for an angel. Especially because she has such a bad opinion of angel-seekers!

This was the most emotionally satisfying story of the bunch for me, although I do wish the romance had been expanded more and that the ending had been more leisurely.

Regardless, I plan to check out this series to see how I like a full length novel by her. Learning about her past with Marc made me wince in sympathy for her--Ouch!

I thought her present behavior toward him was a little uneven, though. She confused me with her assertive sexual advances while still being hesitant about her feelings.

I think Brook excels at twisting expectations and playing with the line between right and wrong and good and evil, and this was no exception.

Meljean Brook and Sharon Shinn where new to me authors. I liked both Nimra the Angel and Noel the Vampire. Both of them needed healing in different ways and they come to find what they need in each other.

It was very interesting and the world is vast. The heroine, she is thrown into a difficult situation and she coupes with it rather well, maybe to well.

I enjoyed all the characters introduced. I just felt we needed more. We barely scratch the surface of this new world and the characters.

Origins is an intense, stressful, and fast-paced adventure. Nocturne Samaria by Sharon Shinn Rated 3. I liked the set up and characters.

We have a sexy brooding angel and a daughter of an angel who is human. The romance for our leads, Corban and Moriah, blooms over time, which was nice to read.

The slow burn and banter between the two made the romance believable. Both where looking for something and they found it in each other. Nocturne is a sweet slow burn romance.

Ascension The Guardians 7. Marc and Radha are both Guardians, which means they are warriors given angelic powers to fight demons. They end up working together to find the demon causing problems as well as who is killing supernaturals and humans.

I did have trouble connecting to both Marc and Radha. It could be because they had a past or that this novella took place farthing in the series.

Ascension has a little mystery, drama, and whole lot of sexual tension. All and all this anthology was ok! I sometimes find new authors in anthologies to try out.

Origins by Ilona Andrews. I rate the audible version 5 stars Yes, I would recommend this anthology. I rate this 4 solid "Angel's Wolf by Nalini Singh.

I rate this 4 solid stars. Jan 23, Susana rated it really liked it Shelves: This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.

To view it, click here. Although i adore Nalini Singh "world" of the "guild-hunters", for me "Angel's Wolf" had the same problem of Sara's and Deacon story in "Must Love hellhounds" anthology.

And that is, the length of the story. Or in both cases the reduced length of the stories. Nalini Singh's characters are so complex and bigger than life, that a short story for me is insuficient.

I felt that the relationship between these two complex characters were rushed. So that's the only negative thing that i have to say abou Although i adore Nalini Singh "world" of the "guild-hunters", for me "Angel's Wolf" had the same problem of Sara's and Deacon story in "Must Love hellhounds" anthology.

So that's the only negative thing that i have to say about this story. I would have liked to read more. To really apreciate Nimra's and Noel story, i would have to read it in a full length book.

I liked "Alphas" by Ilona Andrews. It was something diferent of what i am used. It takes courage to portrait a male character "Lucas" that basically needs to "chew" on the flesh of the female character "Karina" who is a "donnor", someone whose genetics counteract the poisoning that takes place in Lucas body when he undergoes a change.

It was a good story. And then comes "Nocturne" by Sharon Shinn. It was the first time that i've read a story by this author Cant believe that i've never read anything by this author!

Moriah and Corban were perfect: Corban is this sad angel who after losing his sight loses interest in life. Moriah hasn't had an easy life, and she would be the last person to feel sorry for an angel or for his problems.

Neverthless she has a tendency to get into troubles Oct 19, Hirondelle rated it liked it Shelves: This is sort of being currently read - I wanted to read the Sharon Shinn story, got straight to it, and now not sure if I will read the rest.

I want to return the book to owner, so trying to make the effort to read the rest of the stories fast, but OTOH I am stuck on the second story Second i tried to read.

I can not remember when was the last time I read one anthology straight cover to cover by their own order. The Sharon Shinn story is probably not a good introduction to her Samaria world.

It This is sort of being currently read - I wanted to read the Sharon Shinn story, got straight to it, and now not sure if I will read the rest.

It is a spin-off story, standalone-ish and I thought it was, at the same time, lovely and somewhat dull. I liked the ending paragraph very much as well.

Not that the stories were bad, just that urban fantasy really was not my thing, even in its hey-day. Jul 28, Lady Jaye rated it really liked it Shelves: This is one of my favorite anthologies till date, as it contains 3 of my very favorite authors.

Origins, by Ilona Andrews - 5 stars I loved this one. Skill and versatility from two authors I adore. The writing is so different from the typical Ilona Andrews voice and I am excited.

Sharon Shinn writes with elegance and an understated beauty that drags you una This is one of my favorite anthologies till date, as it contains 3 of my very favorite authors.

Sharon Shinn writes with elegance and an understated beauty that drags you unawares into her stories. My favorite parts of the story was the legacy Rachel and Gabriel left Samaria, and any mentions of them made me smile.

Angel's Wolf, by Nalini Singh - 4 stars Enjoyable story. Ascension, by Meljean Brook - 2 stars Now I am not familiar with Meljean's Guardians series, so it could be why i had such a problem getting into it.

It was my least favorite story, and the one I thought was least well-written. I didn't enjoy either the hero or heroine, and while I felt their lust, i felt nothing else for them.

Feb 25, Patricia rated it really liked it Shelves: Proper review to come! Hadn't expected to like her writing and when I did..

The story by Nalini Singh wasn't as good as I hoped for, 3 stars, probably. Meljean Brook's story was interesting. The whole Ascension-thing and the stuff the protagonsits said about the Guardians..

But I wasn't emotionally involved with them whatsoever, so I'd probably give this story 3. Ilona Andrews' story gets 4.

And Sharon Shinn's story made me very curious, although it probably wouldn't get more than Kate going Hulk was awesome though. Didn't read the other stories Recommended to Anzu by: Aly is so frigging bored.

To love one is to nurture softness within your own heart. I'm not a fan of shorts but this book had one in a series I'm currently reading so I figured what the heck.

I hope to see more of Noel and Nimra. I hated, hated, hated Lucas and felt Karina was a wet dishrag. I won't be continuing this series.

Nocturn - Sharon S I'm not a fan of shorts but this book had one in a series I'm currently reading so I figured what the heck.

This gave me a clue as to it's content so I will be moving it up higher on my TBR and getting through the entire series sooner rather than later.

I read Demon Angel 1 and disliked it but maybe I'll give this series a shot. Feb 23, Paulina rated it really liked it.

Finally read the entire anthology I'd previously only read Singh's and Andrews' short stories. In a rare event for me, I would actually give each of the four short stories 4 stars.

And this is with not knowing the other two series which have now been added to my TBR list. I definitely recommend this anthology.

This review was posted at Under The Covers This book is one of the few anthologies that I've read in which I've actually liked every story.

Some definitely more than others, but they are all good! I'll review them individually. Angel's Wolf by Nalini Singh - 4. At first he thought he was being cast out because of his weakness.

He is This review was posted at Under The Covers This book is one of the few anthologies that I've read in which I've actually liked every story.

He is still dealing with the emotional aftermath of his past, he feels almost dead inside. But then he realizes Raphael sent him here to help and protect Nimra.

Someone close to her wants her dead. It's his job to make sure they don't succeed and to figure out who is responsible. But Nimra somehow manages to wake him from the state he's been in.

The story, as always, is amazing. Nalini Singh can weave an intricate web perfectly. Even for a short story there's so much going on it felt like a complete story.

All the characters were pretty well developed, the relationships between all of them was very real, and the chemistry between Noel and Nimra was amazing.

Origins - 4 Stars We are introduced to a brand new world where there's a long going on, a bit sci-fi, with a splash of paranormal.

A group of genetically modified species, "people" with special abilities, separate realities or levels or worlds. I'm still a bit confused as to how everything works and what everything means, but it usually takes me a while to understand an Andrews world.

Seems like the beginning to a really interesting series. A lot of action, some sexual tension. Kate, along with her daughter and a group of kids on a field trip make the wrong pit stop for bathroom and stumble upon a group of supernatural creatures.

She's taken as a slave for Lucas, part man part beast. He needs to feed on her regularly to fight the venom in his own body.

There's a bit of Stockholm Syndrome going on, which I didn't necessarily like, but Lucas actually likes Kate, and even though he wants her, he respects her.

I am very curious to see where this story will go from here. Nocturne by Sharon Shinn - 3. But in general I actually enjoyed this story and I'm looking forward to reading more from this author.

A bit of angel politics at work, one sexy, brooding and blind angel; the daughter of an angel with a human who has been running away from angels for over 4 years.

Corban was blinded by lightning and has been living secluded from everyone. Until Moriah shows up, and actually stands up for herself, confronts him about not facing his demons, and helps him to fly again.

There was one thing mentioned in this story which was a bit of a spoiler for me has to do with Michael! And I mean, how could you NOT like a book about two guardians, one hot male who has been in love with the same girl since his training days and the guardian he's in love with has indigo blue skin, dark black hair to her butt, gold claws and dresses with scarfs tied around her body.

I thought she was pretty smoking hot! LOL Marc is in the middle of nowhere Illinois investigating what might be a demon wreaking havoc in the town.

He hasn't spoken to Radha for years, and all of a sudden she shows up and offers to help him. I liked that they didn't beat around the bush with their feelings for each other.

After years of miscommunication, they laid out all their issues and cleared any misunderstandings. Sparks were flying right away. Dec 30, Kathy Kindle-aholic rated it really liked it Shelves: I'm not caught up on the ones that are part of a series, but I thought that the stories were good standalones, and I wasn't lost at all.

There might have been some slightly spoilerish things that didn't bother me I still plan on reading the series but might bother some folks who must read things in order.

I have read and enjoyed every one of these authors, although I haven't read as much of Shinn's 4. I have read and enjoyed every one of these authors, although I haven't read as much of Shinn's work as I want - will have to fix that this year.

There is a definite trend here of characters that have been broken and need mending. There is romance, and a little steam, but the focus was more on the building of the relationships.

If you are a reader that dislikes novellas or romance, you probably shouldn't get this one as it has both. Angel's Wolf Guild Hunter 4.

Nimra has a pretty scary power, but also cares deeply for the few she allows to get close to her. Noel is recovering from a traumatic assault.

He has been sent to Nimra after an attempt on her life. The story for me was more about 2 wounded people finding each other and recovering together, and the solution to the mystery made sense as well I'd just expected more fighting.

I still liked it, and I'm looking forward to reading more Guild Hunters. I've previously read book 1 and some novellas, so the world wasn't brand new to me.

Origins by Ilona Andrews Lots of action in the one by Andrews. It is not a Kate story, not an Edge story, it's its own thing. The world was cool that is consistent with Andrews other works.

Not as funny as the other series, though, so if you need the comedic asides you might find them mising here. I do hope there will be more stories set in this world.

Darker, edgier, more than a little twisted, but I liked it. I think it was just twisted enough to stay on this side of the line where I was satisifed with the ending and still enjoyed reading about the characters.

I really liked the end. I'd been wondering where the "angel" would come into play. Nocturne Samaria series by Sharon Shinn I had not even heard of this series before reading this novella, but I will be checking it out.

Set in a world ruled by angels, the intermediaries for the god Jovah, the story takes place in an out of the way school as far from the rest of civilization as possible.

Moriah is new to the school. Adventurous, this is the latest in a long string of places she has run from.

I liked her a lot. She was sneaky, calculating, strong, resourceful - it was not hard to believe that she was a survivior. Corban is a blind angel in hiding at the foreboding house on the hill.

The two strike up a strange relationship that is really beneficial to both.

Hahaha, wouldn't you love to know?! Well I'm afraid you're going to have to read the story to find out. Time to throw another muhahahahahaha in.

Damn, how I love doing that. This should be a full-length novel!! This should be a series!! I want to know more about this world!

The Andrews better get to it the minute they finish writing the last Kate Daniels instalment. I might retaliate if they don't.

What the hell is wrong with me??!! That's it, I must have reached the final stages of alcohol psychosis. Either that or the end of the world is near.

What makes this OMG-I-almost-rated-thisstars episode even scarier is that there isn't a lot going on in this short story.

Little action, lots of blah blah blah blah. The angel…Well for a start, he's a freaking angel which works against him.

I mean, apart from S. Reine's deliciously nasty angels, they're all a bunch of sissies. And Corban here, with his constant wallowing in self-pity, is no exception.

He'd still be there, brooding and miserable, had Moriah not bugged him to death with her delightfully irritating ways. My 3-star ratings are usually the meh kind but this one was surprisingly enjoyable.

Not that it makes me want to read Shinn's Samaria series, though. They're probably some of the scariest I've ever seen. So I'm patting myself on the back AND giving myself an award.

View all 4 comments. I was so excited about this anthology that I instantly dropped everything else I was reading the moment it appeared on my Kindle - these authors are among my very favorites.

I was pretty hyped for this, which might have worked a bit against me, I enjoyed the four stories, three of which are connected the authors' series, but I was surprised that with so many of my top favorite authors, the new to me Sharon Shinn's story was my favorite.

The stories in Angels of Darkness weren't super romancey ev I was so excited about this anthology that I instantly dropped everything else I was reading the moment it appeared on my Kindle - these authors are among my very favorites.

The stories in Angels of Darkness weren't super romancey even though there were romances in each story, but the personal aspect of the relationships was more the focus.

FYI, the Andrew's story is the only one that didn't have an angel in the lead, just two brief references to 'angels'. Here's just a quick bit about the stories in the order I read them Singh's Angel's Wolf - Noel, the vampire who was brutalized in an earlier Guild Hunter book and who is healed in body but still not recovered emotionally from his ordeal, is sent away from Raphael's Tower to guard the deceptively fragile looking Nimra whose territory is New Orleans - but Noel knows that no angel rises to power by being weak.

My only nit, and it didn't stop me from enjoying the story - and probably wouldn't have struck me the same way if I hadn't recently read Archangel's Blade - was that I am now really ready for another Guild Hunter story where one or both of the leads hasn't been savaged to the extreme in the past.

I liked it Sharon Shin's Nocturne - A despondent blind angel is brought back to life by a woman who is no fan of angels. The love scenes are left mostly to the readers imagination but the thought of the heroine being enveloped in the angel's wings adds fuel to fire that imagination.

I haven't read anything by Shinn before, but recognized that this story is set in the world of her angel series, but this actually turned out to be my favorites story.

I really liked it MelJean Brook's Ascension - Concerned for her former friend, Radha drops in on fellow Guardian Marc who is on the hunt for what Marc suspects is a Demon 'poisoning' the minds of humans in his territory and though Radha is the mistress of illusion, after years, it may be time clear up the misunderstanding that ended their friendship - I am a huge fan of the Guardians, which is up to book seven and only one more story away from being complete.

For newbies Brook has tried really hard in this story to catch new readers up on the whole Guardian mythos, fans who have just finished up Demon Marked - which had also had a pretty thorough recap and a lot more space to weave it in - probably won't appreciate this as much as fans who need to come back up to speed in preparation for Michael's book.

It was ok Ilona Andrews' Alphas: Origins - An unfortunate pit stop, changes a field trip mom's life forever. Now her survival and that of her daughter depends on her bond to the frightening, Lucas, who is part man and part beast.

I think that this is a prequel for a new series from the Andrews, and the world is a fusion of paranormal and sci-fi.

I always enjoy stories like this in which a 'weak' heroine discovers her strength and also finds the hidden vulnerability in the man who is nearly a beast, and I am sucker for a hero who appealingly leashes his primal nature in order to give his heroine a choice.

I would have like this one better without the conversation that did an info dump to explain the series mythos. Apr 05, MB What she read rated it liked it Shelves: I wanted to read this book because it had stories by Ilona Andrews and Sharon Shinn included.

But I love Shinn's Samaria series they are the exception to my weird turn-off and I'll try anything by Andrews.

Well, I loved the Shinn entry. It is a nice one about 2 unhappy people helping each other get past the hurts life has dealt them.

It is kind of a quiet story--not terribly dramatic. And the ending was not terribly satisfying. But I'd give it 4 stars. I didn't find myself enjoying the Andrews entry much.

It was too X-men for me. Others will probably love it, as it is not the writing, just that I find that type of plot silly.

But it should be pretty popular and I can tell that it is probably the first entry in a series set in this world.

There are plenty of leads for new books or novellas using the characters introduced here. The other 2 were okay as well.

But they were fine--enjoyable enough--just not my style. Meljean Brooks' was kind of cute in a hurt each other terribly as teenagers, finding each other again as adults sort of way.

Nalini Singh's was most typical of this type of genre. Which made it not work for me. I found it a combo of sappy and weird. View all 3 comments. Sep 16, Mlpmom Book Reviewer added it.

View all 6 comments. Why am I not getting this until December according to Amazon when the release date is October!?

This sucks great bit fuzzy baboon testicles! November Update Okay so I may have overreacted! I now have the book, happy days people! The baboon is back in the cage!

Angel's Wolf by Nalini Singh 5 Stars I find it really hard to rate novellas, this book is only 90 pages or so long; how much can you possibly pack in in that length?!

Apparently for Nalini Singh, quite a bit. I think to fully appreciate th Why am I not getting this until December according to Amazon when the release date is October!?

I think to fully appreciate this story you have to have read the Guild Hunter series as it gives the novella a depth of understanding that you won't have if you don't understand the world or the main character, Noel's past.

But as a fan of everything Ms Singh has ever written I didn't have that problem. This was a fantastic novella, it had a small, yet heart rending, mystery in it, a little romance, a little sex and a bit of biting, satisying all my needs for a PNR!

It was such an interesting world that Andrews set up in a very short amount of pages. A mixture of sci-fi and paranormal it was fascinating, Ilona and Gordon have a great talent for creating really original new worlds to set their characters in.

Lucas and Karina, the main characters also drew you in, Lucas was a little different and far more dangerous then your usual werewolf creature, he literally needed to eat Karina to survive.

And Karina was a young widow who would do anything to look after her child in the strange new world she has found herself in. I really hope that more books are written in this series, as well as the main two characters there were others that I would love to read more about.

Nocturne by Sharon Shinn 3. I found the wriiting style not quite to my taste, sometimes it felt like I was reading a list and it was a little slow to start off.

But it was an good story, but just didn't entice me to read more. Ascension by Meljean Brooks 4 Stars Meljean Brooks is another author I haven't read before, but I really liked this novella and I will definitely look at reading more of her books.

Normally I don't really bother with anthologies but I couldn't resist Ilona Andrews and Nalini Singh together, but I was pleasently surprised, I liked all the stories, some more then others but this is well worth the read.

View all 23 comments. May 14, Anna marked it as to-read Shelves: Oct 23, Catherine rated it really liked it Shelves: I was quite surprised to find that I really enjoyed it!

Maybe I should try to overcome my anthology dislike and give more of them a try. In the spellbinding universe of the Guild Hunters, a vampire becomes obsessed with the seductive angel who rules the Louisiana territory.

But in her court, all is not what it appears. I was surprised to find that this was my least favorite stories in the anthology.

I found the read pleasant, but that was about all. Brook may have been my motivation to get the book, but Singh was the icing on the cake. Despite not loving this book, I enjoyed getting to follow a female angel this time around.

Well…a natural born angel, I mean. It aided the romance development in such a short story, I know, but I was looking forward to seeing a female version of a toned down Raphael.

Noel fell pretty easily for a guy who had the issues that he did, but I enjoyed watching the fall. I felt that he was the more emotionally healthy of the pair, despite the intimacy issues he struggled with.

Both Nimra and Noel were dominant personalities, but when they came together they were surprisingly sweet.

A woman is kidnapped into a world divided by a superhuman civil war. I am shocked-- shocked, I say! I did not like it at all when I began reading it.

I was deeply uncomfortable with the set up and the dynamic between Lucas and Karina. Karina was in the wrong place at the wrong time and ended up being mortally wounded.

This bargain is crap, really. He can do whatever he wants to her. She was a victim of circumstance. The House of Daryon had stripped every shred of independence from her.

She depended on Lucas for everything: Any relaxation of the rules became a kindness on his part.

A small thing, like a toothbrush, seemed like some great favor. Lucas strongly reminded me of a serial killer and I got the heebie-jeebies when I realized just how easy it was for him to contemplate raping Karina.

So why did I like this story so much? But, man, it sucked me in. Accepting a position in a secluded and whispered-about mansion, a woman soon discovers the source of its mystery: I was surprised to find how much I enjoyed the world, despite being a little confused by the connection between God and the angels and the humans.

Why exactly are angels living with the humans? I get that they need to mate with them to produce more angels, but are they angels -angels?

A little confused about that. I really, really enjoyed watching the bond develop between Moriah and Corban.

They both initially are drawn to each other for complicated reasons—Moriah from a desire to tempt fate, and Corban from a reluctant interest in something other than his depression.

Soon they find themselves growing closer. Corban comes to depend upon Moriah for her aid in helping him overcome his injury, but you can also see the subtle hints that he is beginning to care from her.

She is unceasingly practical and it was fun watching her roll her eyes at herself over falling for an angel. Especially because she has such a bad opinion of angel-seekers!

This was the most emotionally satisfying story of the bunch for me, although I do wish the romance had been expanded more and that the ending had been more leisurely.

Regardless, I plan to check out this series to see how I like a full length novel by her. Learning about her past with Marc made me wince in sympathy for her--Ouch!

I thought her present behavior toward him was a little uneven, though. She confused me with her assertive sexual advances while still being hesitant about her feelings.

I think Brook excels at twisting expectations and playing with the line between right and wrong and good and evil, and this was no exception. Meljean Brook and Sharon Shinn where new to me authors.

I liked both Nimra the Angel and Noel the Vampire. Both of them needed healing in different ways and they come to find what they need in each other.

It was very interesting and the world is vast. The heroine, she is thrown into a difficult situation and she coupes with it rather well, maybe to well.

I enjoyed all the characters introduced. I just felt we needed more. We barely scratch the surface of this new world and the characters.

Origins is an intense, stressful, and fast-paced adventure. Nocturne Samaria by Sharon Shinn Rated 3. I liked the set up and characters.

We have a sexy brooding angel and a daughter of an angel who is human. The romance for our leads, Corban and Moriah, blooms over time, which was nice to read.

The slow burn and banter between the two made the romance believable. Both where looking for something and they found it in each other.

Nocturne is a sweet slow burn romance. Ascension The Guardians 7. Marc and Radha are both Guardians, which means they are warriors given angelic powers to fight demons.

They end up working together to find the demon causing problems as well as who is killing supernaturals and humans.

I did have trouble connecting to both Marc and Radha. It could be because they had a past or that this novella took place farthing in the series. Ascension has a little mystery, drama, and whole lot of sexual tension.

All and all this anthology was ok! I sometimes find new authors in anthologies to try out. Origins by Ilona Andrews.

I rate the audible version 5 stars Yes, I would recommend this anthology. I rate this 4 solid "Angel's Wolf by Nalini Singh. I rate this 4 solid stars.

Jan 23, Susana rated it really liked it Shelves: This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

Although i adore Nalini Singh "world" of the "guild-hunters", for me "Angel's Wolf" had the same problem of Sara's and Deacon story in "Must Love hellhounds" anthology.

And that is, the length of the story. Or in both cases the reduced length of the stories. Nalini Singh's characters are so complex and bigger than life, that a short story for me is insuficient.

I felt that the relationship between these two complex characters were rushed. So that's the only negative thing that i have to say abou Although i adore Nalini Singh "world" of the "guild-hunters", for me "Angel's Wolf" had the same problem of Sara's and Deacon story in "Must Love hellhounds" anthology.

So that's the only negative thing that i have to say about this story. I would have liked to read more. To really apreciate Nimra's and Noel story, i would have to read it in a full length book.

I liked "Alphas" by Ilona Andrews. It was something diferent of what i am used. It takes courage to portrait a male character "Lucas" that basically needs to "chew" on the flesh of the female character "Karina" who is a "donnor", someone whose genetics counteract the poisoning that takes place in Lucas body when he undergoes a change.

It was a good story. And then comes "Nocturne" by Sharon Shinn. It was the first time that i've read a story by this author Cant believe that i've never read anything by this author!

Moriah and Corban were perfect: Corban is this sad angel who after losing his sight loses interest in life.

Moriah hasn't had an easy life, and she would be the last person to feel sorry for an angel or for his problems.

Neverthless she has a tendency to get into troubles Oct 19, Hirondelle rated it liked it Shelves: This is sort of being currently read - I wanted to read the Sharon Shinn story, got straight to it, and now not sure if I will read the rest.

I want to return the book to owner, so trying to make the effort to read the rest of the stories fast, but OTOH I am stuck on the second story Second i tried to read.

I can not remember when was the last time I read one anthology straight cover to cover by their own order. The Sharon Shinn story is probably not a good introduction to her Samaria world.

It This is sort of being currently read - I wanted to read the Sharon Shinn story, got straight to it, and now not sure if I will read the rest.

It is a spin-off story, standalone-ish and I thought it was, at the same time, lovely and somewhat dull. I liked the ending paragraph very much as well.

Not that the stories were bad, just that urban fantasy really was not my thing, even in its hey-day.

Jul 28, Lady Jaye rated it really liked it Shelves: This is one of my favorite anthologies till date, as it contains 3 of my very favorite authors.

Origins, by Ilona Andrews - 5 stars I loved this one. Skill and versatility from two authors I adore. The writing is so different from the typical Ilona Andrews voice and I am excited.

Sharon Shinn writes with elegance and an understated beauty that drags you una This is one of my favorite anthologies till date, as it contains 3 of my very favorite authors.

Sharon Shinn writes with elegance and an understated beauty that drags you unawares into her stories. My favorite parts of the story was the legacy Rachel and Gabriel left Samaria, and any mentions of them made me smile.

Angel's Wolf, by Nalini Singh - 4 stars Enjoyable story. Ascension, by Meljean Brook - 2 stars Now I am not familiar with Meljean's Guardians series, so it could be why i had such a problem getting into it.

It was my least favorite story, and the one I thought was least well-written. I didn't enjoy either the hero or heroine, and while I felt their lust, i felt nothing else for them.

Feb 25, Patricia rated it really liked it Shelves: Proper review to come! Hadn't expected to like her writing and when I did.. The story by Nalini Singh wasn't as good as I hoped for, 3 stars, probably.

Meljean Brook's story was interesting. The whole Ascension-thing and the stuff the protagonsits said about the Guardians..

But I wasn't emotionally involved with them whatsoever, so I'd probably give this story 3. Ilona Andrews' story gets 4. And Sharon Shinn's story made me very curious, although it probably wouldn't get more than Kate going Hulk was awesome though.

Didn't read the other stories Recommended to Anzu by: Aly is so frigging bored. To love one is to nurture softness within your own heart.

I'm not a fan of shorts but this book had one in a series I'm currently reading so I figured what the heck. I hope to see more of Noel and Nimra.

I hated, hated, hated Lucas and felt Karina was a wet dishrag. I won't be continuing this series. Nocturn - Sharon S I'm not a fan of shorts but this book had one in a series I'm currently reading so I figured what the heck.

This gave me a clue as to it's content so I will be moving it up higher on my TBR and getting through the entire series sooner rather than later.

I read Demon Angel 1 and disliked it but maybe I'll give this series a shot. Feb 23, Paulina rated it really liked it.

Finally read the entire anthology I'd previously only read Singh's and Andrews' short stories. In a rare event for me, I would actually give each of the four short stories 4 stars.

And this is with not knowing the other two series which have now been added to my TBR list. I definitely recommend this anthology.

This review was posted at Under The Covers This book is one of the few anthologies that I've read in which I've actually liked every story.

Some definitely more than others, but they are all good! I'll review them individually. Angel's Wolf by Nalini Singh - 4.

At first he thought he was being cast out because of his weakness. He is This review was posted at Under The Covers This book is one of the few anthologies that I've read in which I've actually liked every story.

He is still dealing with the emotional aftermath of his past, he feels almost dead inside. But then he realizes Raphael sent him here to help and protect Nimra.

Someone close to her wants her dead. It's his job to make sure they don't succeed and to figure out who is responsible. But Nimra somehow manages to wake him from the state he's been in.

The story, as always, is amazing. Nalini Singh can weave an intricate web perfectly. Even for a short story there's so much going on it felt like a complete story.

All the characters were pretty well developed, the relationships between all of them was very real, and the chemistry between Noel and Nimra was amazing.

Origins - 4 Stars We are introduced to a brand new world where there's a long going on, a bit sci-fi, with a splash of paranormal.

A group of genetically modified species, "people" with special abilities, separate realities or levels or worlds.

I'm still a bit confused as to how everything works and what everything means, but it usually takes me a while to understand an Andrews world.

Seems like the beginning to a really interesting series. A lot of action, some sexual tension. Kate, along with her daughter and a group of kids on a field trip make the wrong pit stop for bathroom and stumble upon a group of supernatural creatures.

She's taken as a slave for Lucas, part man part beast. He needs to feed on her regularly to fight the venom in his own body.

There's a bit of Stockholm Syndrome going on, which I didn't necessarily like, but Lucas actually likes Kate, and even though he wants her, he respects her.

I am very curious to see where this story will go from here. Nocturne by Sharon Shinn - 3. But in general I actually enjoyed this story and I'm looking forward to reading more from this author.

A bit of angel politics at work, one sexy, brooding and blind angel; the daughter of an angel with a human who has been running away from angels for over 4 years.

Corban was blinded by lightning and has been living secluded from everyone. Until Moriah shows up, and actually stands up for herself, confronts him about not facing his demons, and helps him to fly again.

There was one thing mentioned in this story which was a bit of a spoiler for me has to do with Michael! And I mean, how could you NOT like a book about two guardians, one hot male who has been in love with the same girl since his training days and the guardian he's in love with has indigo blue skin, dark black hair to her butt, gold claws and dresses with scarfs tied around her body.

I thought she was pretty smoking hot! LOL Marc is in the middle of nowhere Illinois investigating what might be a demon wreaking havoc in the town.

He hasn't spoken to Radha for years, and all of a sudden she shows up and offers to help him. I liked that they didn't beat around the bush with their feelings for each other.

After years of miscommunication, they laid out all their issues and cleared any misunderstandings. Sparks were flying right away. Dec 30, Kathy Kindle-aholic rated it really liked it Shelves: I'm not caught up on the ones that are part of a series, but I thought that the stories were good standalones, and I wasn't lost at all.

There might have been some slightly spoilerish things that didn't bother me I still plan on reading the series but might bother some folks who must read things in order.

I have read and enjoyed every one of these authors, although I haven't read as much of Shinn's 4. I have read and enjoyed every one of these authors, although I haven't read as much of Shinn's work as I want - will have to fix that this year.

There is a definite trend here of characters that have been broken and need mending. There is romance, and a little steam, but the focus was more on the building of the relationships.

If you are a reader that dislikes novellas or romance, you probably shouldn't get this one as it has both. Angel's Wolf Guild Hunter 4.

Nimra has a pretty scary power, but also cares deeply for the few she allows to get close to her. Noel is recovering from a traumatic assault.

He has been sent to Nimra after an attempt on her life. The story for me was more about 2 wounded people finding each other and recovering together, and the solution to the mystery made sense as well I'd just expected more fighting.

I still liked it, and I'm looking forward to reading more Guild Hunters. I've previously read book 1 and some novellas, so the world wasn't brand new to me.

Origins by Ilona Andrews Lots of action in the one by Andrews. It is not a Kate story, not an Edge story, it's its own thing.

The world was cool that is consistent with Andrews other works. Not as funny as the other series, though, so if you need the comedic asides you might find them mising here.

I do hope there will be more stories set in this world. Darker, edgier, more than a little twisted, but I liked it. I think it was just twisted enough to stay on this side of the line where I was satisifed with the ending and still enjoyed reading about the characters.

I really liked the end. I'd been wondering where the "angel" would come into play. Nocturne Samaria series by Sharon Shinn I had not even heard of this series before reading this novella, but I will be checking it out.

Set in a world ruled by angels, the intermediaries for the god Jovah, the story takes place in an out of the way school as far from the rest of civilization as possible.

Moriah is new to the school. Adventurous, this is the latest in a long string of places she has run from. I liked her a lot. She was sneaky, calculating, strong, resourceful - it was not hard to believe that she was a survivior.

Corban is a blind angel in hiding at the foreboding house on the hill. The two strike up a strange relationship that is really beneficial to both.

I enjoyed their verbal sparring and that each gave as good as they got. Not much action in this one. Here we have 2 Guardians who are nursing old wounds they gave each other years and years before.

The initial issue was a big miscommunication, but I'm glad that they didn't spend all of the story focused on the miscommunication.

There is also a problem with someone killing vampires, a potential demon to sniff out, and teens getting in over their heads. I really liked Marc's and Radha's powers, how they worked together.

There was some action in the story, especially at the end. I haven't started this series yet, although I have read a novella set in this world, so it wasn't completely new to me.

It does make me want to dig more into this world. View all 7 comments. May 29, Kate rated it liked it. Angels of Darkness is actually four novellas, which I will review individually.

They are probably best called paranormal romances. Directly above me a metal lamp is hanging on a chain. I sit in a circle of light, exposed.

Just beyond the light a thing watches me from the gloom. It walks on all fours, and its curved black claws scratch the concrete. It steps closer to the light, and I see its face.

Its eyes are black and angry, and its mouth is a slash across its face filled with long needle-sharp teeth. Its lips are black and its teeth are yellow, and looking at them makes me shiver.

Hearing its hoarse voice is like having a bucket of iced water dumped on me. There is another monster in the warehouse with me.

It just sits in the darkness and watches. The bedroom was dark, except for the green light from the digital clock.

I struggled to catch my breath. My heart was beating so fast, it hurt. I strained, listening for small noises. I was sixteen years old. I would be getting my license as soon as I finished the driving school.

I felt about with my feet under the blanket, looking for the familiar weight. Usually Marbles, my big brown torbie cat, slept at the edge of my bed.

If I could only find Marbles, I could hug her, cuddle up, and go back to sleep. I tried to whisper, but my throat was so dry, only a weak croak came out.

Fear exploded inside me, stinging me in sharp rapid bursts. The scent of metal flooded my nostrils, as I stuck my head into a copper bowl left out to bake for hours in hot sun and took a whiff.

Pale red strings sparked on the edges of my vision. My body was reacting to danger. I had to put the brakes on, or it would carry me off like a run-away train.

I gripped the blanket, fighting for control. Not until there was a definite danger. I had to squash my fear now or my body would take over and then everyone would be sorry.